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Monica Hodes-Smail
Years in journalism: 24
Current job title: Copy editor, San Diego Union-Tribune
How do you decide what stories your readers need to see?
I try to put myself in the shoes of our readers. I think people like a variety of topics while also learning about important current events. There is plenty of “serious” news, but if readers get only that, their eyes are going to glaze over. A variety of stories serves as a palate cleanser and keeps people engaged, hopefully making them turn the page!
What newsworthiness values do you use the most when selecting stories for the newspaper?
The Union-Tribune tries to focus on what’s of interest locally in San Diego County while giving an overview of important nation and world issues. What’s interesting about San Diego is that those things can converge. For example, border and immigration topics are relevant locally since we’re so close to Tijuana; our Marine and Navy bases make military topics of interest; and because of California’s size and influence, our state news is also national news. When I’m choosing stories to run from our wire services, I keep those things in mind. Our local readers have connections beyond just the county, and that’s what makes this area so diverse.
Are there any particularly memorable stories that you chose for the newspaper?
In my 20-plus years of journalism, I have NEVER seen a news event on the scale of the coronavirus pandemic. Even when huge news happens, it’s usually confined to a certain part of the world, a certain part of the U.S. Maybe people read about it, but it might not have a direct impact. The pandemic hit every single angle, every country, every person. It affected all of our lives in some way and changed so many things about our day-to-day existence. If you think about a newspaper, every section was affected: nation, world, local, business, sports, arts, entertainment, obituaries. It’s still mind-blowing to think about the scope of the pandemic. I remember reading stories on the wire thinking, “I can’t believe I’m reading these words. I can’t believe I’m writing this headline!”
Do you get any feedback from readers about what they want to read?
I personally don’t get feedback from the readers, but the U-T’s readers’ representative, Adrian Vore, hears from readers and has a regular column on Sundays answering their questions or explaining certain aspects of our coverage. I think that it’s important for readers to have an outlet for their questions so that the U-T can consider their feedback and either explain or reconsider certain aspects of what we choose to run.
Have you seen any changes in newsworthiness values during your career in journalism? If so, what were they?
I think newsworthiness has shifted as online news coverage has come into play. The internet was in its early stages when I started at my first professional newspaper in 1999, and newspapers were still a primary source of information. As the options grew with the internet’s expansion, readers’ interests also started to expand. Readers started demanding more options from newspapers and more varied coverage like they could get online. “It’s what everyone’s talking about” is used more often today in determining newsworthiness, when in the past, newspapers may have been a little high and mighty about what was deserving of coverage. We now have a lot more competition as an information source, and we also are well aware that we need to keep our business alive. I think perspective has broadened when we decide what is “news,” and as long as we keep our journalistic morals and ethics intact, we can cover things that we might have passed by in earlier years. I don’t see that in a negative way at all – I think it’s smart to change with the times and adapt to what readers are interested in to stay relevant.
Have you seen changes in readers’ interest during your career in journalism? If so, please explain.
Readers have become more interested and active in political issues in the past decade, particularly with recent challenges in the U.S. government and a couple of dramatic presidential elections. I also see more interest in local politics and elections. I think readers who experienced some fear and distrust of the way the pandemic was handled by local and federal government are more proactive in seeking out information as a protective measure. I think it’s good that people are becoming more personally involved in where they get their news, as long as it comes from a reputable source. On the lighter end, readers are more interested in pop culture and celebrity news since that’s prevalent on the internet.
Any other reflections from your time in journalism?
As competition for readers stays high, I see newspapers delving into more in-depth stories and issues that go further than what readers can get on the internet. The focus is shifting to deeper dives on topics that are important to the community while linking it to the bigger picture nationally and globally. More tailored approaches seem to resonate with readers who are asking “what does this mean for me?” It’s a tough balance to keep the reader engaged while thinking about the broader scope, but we have to trust and give credit to the intelligence of our audience. And we have to trust that our readers want the same feeling of connection to the community that journalists do, and that we all care enough to stay informed and aware.
